


Birthday Girl

by Writerleft



Series: Comes Marching Home [7]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Birthday, Canon Compliant, Korrasami Month 2018, during makorra, pre-book 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-10
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-09-15 21:38:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16941198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writerleft/pseuds/Writerleft
Summary: Somebody deserves a birthday surprise--the Avatar is on the case!





	Birthday Girl

 

Korra strode into Future Industries tower, and tried not to whistle. The skyscraper was impressive enough on the outside--all the more so for having been built entirely without bending--but the interior design was another thing altogether. Cold metal, sleek lines, plush leather covering harsh angles…

She doubted Hiroshi had a direct hand on how his company headquarters was decorated, but somehow it seemed fitting. Of course, this wasn’t _his_ company anymore.

She reached the main reception desk, and the man behind it glanced up at her, then returned his attention to his paperwork. Was she supposed to speak first? “Um… hi. I’d like to see As… I mean, Miss Sato?”

He set his pen down, looked at her, and asked, “Do you have an appointment?”

“No. She’s just my friend and I--”

“Please take a number,” he said, gesturing to a roll of paper tickets, then returning to his paperwork. “It will be called when we are ready.”

Korra blinked, looking about the room. The waiting area had fifty of the highest quality chairs, all empty. “Um… there’s nobody else here?”

“Please take a number,” he repeated, giving her a firm look.

Korra glared at him, but snatched a number from the roll. 004. It was past lunchtime, had they really only had three visitors that day?

Korra absentmindedly put the number in her pocket as she walked away--not to the waiting area, but to the elevator. Whatever that guy’s problem was, Korra didn’t have time for it. Not because she was busy or anything--it was just annoying.

Nobody stopped her stepping in the elevator, and while she didn’t _know_ where Asami’s office was, she figured the top floor was the best bet. It had the best view, after all.

The ride up was quick--not one stop on an intervening floor. Either everybody was busy or Korra was really lucky or there really weren’t a lot of people in the building today.

The hallway outside the elevator was likewise deserted, though she could hear somebody typing and paper rustling here and there. Not wanting to be a bother, Korra turned herself west, guessing the view of the bay would belong to the CEO, and started exploring.

Three empty offices, two occupied ones, and a breakroom later, Korra found an open door with a conspicuously-missing nameplate. A woman in her mid thirties looked up from her typing, frowning at Korra without her fingers slowing at all. “Can I help you?”

“Uh…” Korra said, poking her head in and noticing a second, closed office door off to the side. “Is this Asami’s office? Miss Sato’s?”

“Are you Avatar Korra?”

Korra nodded. “The only Avatar around, yeah.”

The woman stopped typing, flexed her fingers but tilting her head to motion Korra inside. Korra blinked, unsure what the woman--Tenni, according to the plaque on her desk--wanted with her. “Should we be whispering? I feel like you want me to whisper.”

“Low tones will do,” Tenni said, face serious but eyes playful. “Let me ask a few questions.”

“Okay.”

“Why are you here?”

“Just to visit.”

“Business visit?”

“Friendly visit?” What the heck was a ‘business visit? “Is that a problem?”

Tenni glanced past her, at Asami’s door. “Asami isn’t, strictly-speaking, seeing anybody right now.”

Not since Mako broke up with her… oh, not what Tenni meant. “But…?”

“But she’s overworking herself and I think she could use a friend,” Tenni said. “I just want to make sure it’s going to be a relaxing sort of friend visit, and not anything emotional or dramatic?”

Korra shook her head. “Wasn’t planning on it. Mako just mentioned her birthday is coming up--”

Tenni winced, and leaned forward. “She doesn’t need boy trouble right now. She doesn’t need to be _reminded_ of boy trouble. I understand that you are dating her former boy trouble. So again, will this stress her out?”

Korra leaned back, shook her head. “Uh, no. I promise, I won’t mention Mako at all. I’ll keep this a strictly girls thing.”

Tenni sat back too, satisfied. “Okay then. I’ll let you in, this one time.”

Korra, crossed her arms. “Do you think you could have stopped me?”

Tenni clicked her tongue. “Avatar Korra… let me give you some free advice for urban life: Never, and I mean _never_ , get on assistants’ or secretaries’ bad side. You beat the Equalists, but if you think you could survive the weight of red tape you’ll get buried under, you have another thing coming.”

Korra narrowed her eyes--but decided it might be best to back away.

Instead, she gave a quick knock on Asami’s door, opening it before she heard a response.

“You can put the new reports there,” Asami didn’t look up, gesturing vaguely to the  corner of her desk. “How is Toq doing with that comparison of the last three years expense reports?”

“I have no idea,” Korra responded, and the wide-eyed look Asami gave her was delightful.

“Korra,” she said blinking. “Were we… do we have a meeting?”

Korra leaned against the door frame. “Not that I know of. Do you… not see people outside of meetings?”

“These days, no,” Asami sighed, pushing back from her desk. “What brings you by?”

“What brings me by? Besides you’re my friend and I miss you?”

Asami had been starting to stand, but she seemed to lose her footing, falling back into her chair. “Um… yes. Besides that.”

“Because you’re not older than me anymore!”

Asami raised her eyebrow. “How do you figure that?”

“My birthday was yesterday!”

“It was?”

“Yup! I’m 18 now, same as you!”

“My birthday is in four days.”

“Right! So for five days, we’re the same age!”

“I mean… technically, yes, but--”

“Technically, nothing!” Korra batted the objection away. “You never responded to my birthday party invite, which, judging by that blue envelope buried in your ‘in’ pile there, you haven’t opened yet…”

Asami sighed, fishing the envelope out of the pile. “I’m sorry, Korra. I can’t believe I didn’t see it was from you.”

“We wanted it to be a party for all four of us,” Korra sighed. “Did you know Bolin’s birthday was two weeks ago? And Mmm…” she remembered Tenni’s warning, and cleared her throat.

“You can say your boyfriend’s name, Korra,” Asami chuckled. “And I believe Mako’s birthday is soon, too?”

“Yeah, just before we head South for the solstice. You’re still coming, right?”

Asami nodded. “Yeah, I’ve got business in the South, hopefully, I can get enough funds to get us back on track…”

“Will you have time to come to the festival with us?”

Asami’s gaze was trapped on her desk, venturing over it’s hills and canyons, looking for an escape. “I’ll try,” she said. “These business meetings are really important, Korra… we’ve lost most of our orders and half of our senior staff. Everybody is working double-time to try to make up for it, nobody is applying for our positions, and--what are you doing?”

What Korra was doing was walking to Asami’s desk and picking up the telephone. “Operator? Get me Tosi’s Bakery. No, I’m not quite sure of the number, but they’re somewhere near the docks district, I think?”

‘What?’ Asmai mouthed, eyebrows furrowed.

Korra covered the receiver, and said, “I’m on the telephone, Asami, don’t be rude.” Asami’s sputtering was _very_ difficult not to chuckle at, but Korra found the strength to manage as the baker picked up. “Hello! Is this the bakery with those fantastic ube rolls?... It is? Excellent. This is Avatar Korra speaking, and I would like four of every pastry you have delivered to Future Industries Tower…”

Asami laughed, shaking her head.

“Prank call?” Korra’s objection was somewhat undercut by how much Asami had her smiling. “I honestly never thought of doing that, and obviously I would never do such a thing.” She covered the receiver, and whispered to Asami, “We’re doing that later.”

Asami snorted, covering her mouth.

“Don’t do deliveries? Would you make an exception if it got you a picture of the Avatar enjoying them? I found out yesterday that I can fit four of your little sponge cakes in my mouth at once, I need to show another friend… A radio commercial? Sure, I guess I could do that, your pastries _are_ delicious.” She locked eyes on Asami’s, who was close to trembling with restraint. “When will the delivery be here? Half an hour? Fantastic! Oh! One second!” She covered the receiver again, and called, “Hey, Tenni! What’s your favorite pastry?”

“Pork rolls!” Tenni called back. “Two, please!”

“And two extra pork rolls, if you could,” Korra said. “Thank you so much!”  

She hung up, and Asami pitched forward in her seat, cackling. “I can’t believe you just did that!”

“Would you believe I’d march down there and kick their door in to grab the pastries myself, if they hadn’t agreed to deliver?”

“That, yes. I absolutely believe it.”

Korra gave a smug smirk. “Glad you know me so well.”

Asami stood, stepping around her desk to draw Korra into a hug. “Happy birthday, Korra. Sorry I missed it. I didn’t even get you anything!”

“Sure you did,” Korra said, giving Asami a tight squeeze in return. “You just bought me two thirds of a giant pile of pastries.”

“Oh, you’re leaving me a full third?” Asami pulled out of the hug, but her hands lingered on Korra’s arms. “How magnanimous.”

Korra shrugged, giving Asami her best lopsided grin. “Gotta enjoy what’s left of being 18 somehow, right? Happy birthday, Asami. You deserve a little fun, right?”

She glanced at her desk, sighed, then nodded. “I suppose a little recharge time might do me some good. Are you sure there’s not anything else you need to  be doing, though? Rounding up Equalists, speaking about the election, planning for the trip?”

“Probably,” Korra admitted. “But you’re important too. I’m not… always great about keeping track of my friends and how they’re doing. Comes from growing up not having had any. But, well… I realized I missed you, yesterday, and--”

Asami took her hands, then met her gaze. “Korra… that’s the best birthday present you could’ve given me. That, and ignoring the fact that I’m crying.”

Korra smiled and, as requested, ignored the tears. “Glad to hear it.”

**Author's Note:**

> Written MOSTLY on my own birthday, but couldn't quite finish it until the day after. Hope you enjoyed this fluff! [Visit me on my tumblr! Say hi! ](https://threehoursfromtroy.tumblr.com/)


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